There is definitely an art to dressing stylishly when pregnant, and dare I say, to wearing flattering clothes. I'm at my halfway mark, and just in the last couple of weeks, I've found myself struggling to find the right things to wear. I managed to get through my first pregnancy with very few maternity items, and I'm hoping to do the same this time around. It's great to buy pieces that you can wear during pregnancy that you can wear after as well. I just hate to spend a lot of hard-earned cash on too many clothes I'll only get a few months' use out of! That being said, it would be difficult to not invest in any pieces, especially maternity jeans and pants.

So what are my tricks? Here are a few tried and true tricks from yours truly:

Find fabric that have some give. Cotton blends tend to stretch well, as do many synthetic fabrics. Especially for the first 6-7 months, these can sustain you (let's be honest, after about the 7th month, you'll do well to just wear a burlap sack).

Not true (see burlap sack comment above)! No one should give up and resort to burlap-esque clothing! What can take you all the way to the end of your third trimester? Ruching! It's not only flattering (it even gives my white-girl-pancake-lookin'-bootie a little boost), but it can really stretch! I find that ruched skirts and dresses, whether maternity or not, look fantastic and perform well for your ever-expanding belly!

Highlight your bump with a belt, especially when you're in the ambiguous zone. Don't know what I'm talking about? It's that "is she? isn't she?" stage when people aren't sure whether to congratulate you or to spend time trying to figure out what you've been eating and how you gained so much weight. Adding a belt to the top of your bump can help clear up that ambiguity, and it looks adorable!

Wear fitted clothing. No, seriously. Nothing looks worse than a pregnant lady in baggy clothes! Mind you, most of the maternity wear on the market is devastatingly loose and unflattering, so it can be a challenge to find said pieces. Which brings me to my next topic.

Where to shop? If you're looking for reasonably priced pieces, try ASOS and H & M. Old Navy has a fair selection, though of seriously dubious quality. If you're willing to dole out a bit more mula, check out Isabella Oliver, which is definitely geared toward quality over quantity seekers.

I want my outfits to still be relevant to all the non-knocked-up readers out there, so I'm going to do my best to stick with as few maternity pieces on this blog as possible. This Club Monaco dress is fabulously loose and forgiving, and had nothing to do with baby bumps. And it's on sale.